Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University today announced a fall head count enrollment of 10,534, an increase of 77 students from fall 2008.

A breakdown of the numbers, along with new initiatives aimed at student success, have university officials optimistic about the future.

Enrollment is up among new freshmen, transfer students and graduate students, and not only are more Indiana residents choosing Indiana State, so are more out-of-state and international students, according to the university registrar's official fall report, based on enrollment as of Sept. 1, the fifth day of classes.

"It is gratifying to see not only an increase in enrollment but an increase in virtually every category of student," said ISU President Daniel J. Bradley. "Indiana State continues to fill an important niche in higher education. We look forward to working with new and returning students alike in helping them achieve their goal of completing a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree."

The number of first-time freshmen stands at 2,035, an increase of 95 students from last year and a 24 percent increase since 2005. The quality of incoming students also remains strong. More than 96 percent of new freshmen have completed a Core 40 high school curriculum, a slight increase from last year. The average grade point average for new freshman remains unchanged at 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

But the greatest area of enrollment growth is among transfer students, whose numbers climbed by 174, a nearly 30 percent increase in just one year.

More than 100 transfer students, or roughly one of every seven transfers, came from Ivy Tech Community College - Wabash Valley. That's more than twice the number of transfer students Indiana State received from Ivy Tech's Terre Haute campus just three years ago, noted John Beacon, ISU's vice president for enrollment management, marketing and communications.

"It is exciting to see the state's investment in the community college system and Indiana State's long-running partnership with Ivy Tech paying off to such an extent. Many people on both campuses have worked hard to assist Ivy Tech graduates who chose to continue their education and pursue a bachelor's degree at ISU," Beacon said.

Initiatives include the placement of a full-time ISU transfer coordinator on the Ivy Tech campus, an expansion of the ISU Laptop Award to transfer students and new textbook scholarships and community service scholarships for community college transfers.

As the university welcomes more students, it is also expanding efforts aimed at ensuring more students complete a four-year degree, Bradley noted. These include "Project Success," a pilot program that brought selected new students to campus one week early this year for classes and mentoring in study skills, life skills and leadership and the appointment of an associate vice president for student success who will help develop new programs and policies to help more students stay in school and graduate.

Photo:
http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/photos/630125558_T7HzB-L.jpg
New Indiana State University students assembled on Marks Field for a class photo prior to orientation before the start of fall classes. The university reports an increase in enrollment this fall to 10,534.

Contact: John Beacon, vice president for enrollment management, marketing and communications, Indiana State University, 812-237-3560 or john.beacon@indstate.edu

Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu